Days 17-21: Western Newfoundland

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I arrived in Port-Aux-Basques on the ferry from Sydney. It was 12:30am, so I spent the night at a B&B in town. The next morning, I headed to Gros Morne National Park, the biggest national park in Newfoundland. The first thing I noticed about Newfoundland is that it is a massive province and there isn't a whole lot of development, as a result the scenery is spectacular. My pictures do not do it justice, it's something you need to see for yourself to fully appreciate. The first trail I tackled was Green Gardens, which finishes at a stone beach. I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by a herd of sheep grazing on the cliffs. The sheep belong to the locals and it has been the practice for generations to let them graze along here. The following day I did a hike off trail and climbed to the top of the Tablelands, a mountainous formation composed of rock from the Earth's mantle. It was a tough hike, being a 700m vertical climb and very rocky. The view from the top was worth it though and the landscape up there looked like you were on Mars or the Moon. Following the hike, I went on a tour of the Western Brook Pond, which is far, far larger than a pond. It was formed by glaciers and evolving geological formations. The following day I went to l'Anse-Aux-Meadows to see the first and only viking settlement in Canada. I also stopped by St. Anthony's where I was fortunate enough to see an iceberg (it was definitely in its final few days, before it would become one with the ocean). The next day I went to Corner Brook to visit Jane's brother who lives there. It's the second biggest city in Newfoundland. We only had a few hours together so he took me to a cave just outside of town, which was very cool. Only part of the cave system is mapped out because it's so large and explorers must be wary, as it will flood when the dam opens its gates.

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